


Terms of Arrangement

by LlamaCow



Series: Arranged marriage [1]
Category: K-pop, SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Arranged Marriage, Cheating, Drama, Eventual Smut, Jeonghan is a lawyer, Jihoon is an architect, M/M, Married Life, Smut, Soonyoung works at a suit store, Suits, all the drama, happy ending depending on your ship, idk suits are lowkey important, not so much smut though, title idek
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-18
Updated: 2020-08-24
Packaged: 2021-03-06 02:22:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,474
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25975888
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LlamaCow/pseuds/LlamaCow
Summary: Where arranged marriages are common in the higher circles of society, Lee Jihoon suddenly finds himself ready to get married to a man he doesn't know by the name of Yoon Jeonghan. While he gets to know him better, he also struggles to let go of his lover, Soonyoung.
Relationships: Choi Seungcheol | S.Coups & Yoon Jeonghan, Choi Seungcheol | S.Coups/Yoon Jeonghan, Kwon Soonyoung | Hoshi & Lee Jihoon | Woozi, Kwon Soonyoung | Hoshi/Lee Jihoon | Woozi, Lee Jihoon | Woozi & Yoon Jeonghan, Lee Jihoon | Woozi/Yoon Jeonghan
Series: Arranged marriage [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1885348
Comments: 4
Kudos: 29





	1. Caught off guard by the expected

**Author's Note:**

> PLEASE understand that, while eventually everybody finds happiness, it might not be the pairing you are hoping for and it might not even be in this fic (I'm planning to write a series, focusing on different couples) D:

Jihoon stood up from the edge of Soonyoung’s bed. He couldn’t take the silence any longer. “I have to go.” He didn’t turn to look at his lover, still naked on top of the sheets.

“So, that’s it?” Soonyoung asked. “You come over here, we have sex, you tell me you’re getting married and that’s that?”

Jihoon let out a controlled sigh and picked up his clothes from the floor. “No moment would have been the right moment to tell you, Soon.”

“ _Before_ fucking me was an option.” 

Jihoon’s heart ached at the way the other man’s voice broke with emotion as he spoke. He had come to his apartment with the resolution to straight up tell him that his parents had found him a match and wanted him to get married. But he had been selfish. He was always selfish when it came to Soonyoung.

He turned around to face him. His shirt was angrily yanked from his hands. He stared at Soonyoung’s face. He looked so hurt and Jihoon wanted to make it better, but he knew he wasn’t going to be able to make it better anytime soon. All his life he had known that his parents, as nearly all parents in their circles, would at some point find him someone they thought was right for him. They hadn’t cared when he had told them he was gay. Most people didn’t. Adoption was extremely common even for straight couples and it was the upbringing that was important. Jihoon knew that what they really cared about was wealth, status, family background and occupation. He had always simply accepted the fact he would end up in an arranged marriage and never intended to go against it. Not even now.

“Do we have to stop seeing each other?” Soonyoung’s voice was small and his eyes cast down.

Jihoon took his shirt back, gently stroking his fingers across the back of Soonyoung’s hand. He leaned in and pressed a light kiss on his cheek. “We don’t. You know I’m not getting married to someone I love.”

“Who are you getting married to anyway?”

“Some lawyer. Comes from a rich lawyer family. Both of his parents are lawyers too. Apparently.” He finished getting dressed as fast as he could without looking like he just wanted to get out of there. “I have to go.” He repeated. “I probably won’t have time this week. I’ll let you know.”

He left Soonyoung’s apartment and shut the door. His fingers lingered on the knob. He had expected this day. Most of his friends had already gotten married. All arranged, of course. It only made sense that he was next. Yet it slapped him right across the face now that it was actually happening. He wasn’t as prepared for it as he thought he was. He thought he wouldn’t care so much. Perhaps that would have been true two years ago. Before he had met Soonyoung. They had never fully defined what they were to each other and Jihoon had always been upfront about how his life was going to play out, but he couldn’t pretend that all they had was a physical relationship. 

He took a deep breath and walked to the elevator. He had to get to his parents’ house. He had to go and meet the man his parents wanted as their son-in-law. 

<>

A cat climbed up a tree to chase a squirrel it was never going to catch, unaware of the man absentmindedly staring at the scene from behind one of the windows of the mansion. Jihoon wasn’t paying much attention to what was happening inside. The room was filled with the voices of two sets of parents and the wedding planner. 

It hadn’t even been a week since his parents had told him that he was to marry a man named Yoon Jeonghan. Today was their first time meeting each other. After the first polite exchange of ‘ _nice to meet you’_ the conversation had quickly turned to the wedding itself. Their respective mothers and fathers had dived right into talks about locations, guests lists, flowers, and whatnots. Perhaps they figured there was enough time for the two grooms-to-be to get to know each other after getting married. Either way, Jihoon didn’t care all that much. He wasn’t interested in the details of his wedding nor was he in the mood for small talk or to put in the effort to get to know his fiance. 

“What do you think, honey?” His mother asked him and snapped him out of his thoughts.

He turned his head to look at her, “Hm?” He hadn’t heard what she had been talking about.

“Honestly, darling, would it kill you to pay attention? This is _your_ wedding we’re planning here, you know? Now, what kind of cake were we thinking?”

Jihoon couldn’t care less about cakes. “Whatever you want is fine.”

His mother let out one of her infamous sighs of disapproval and shook her head. “We can plan a lot, Jihoon, but you two should at least pick the wedding cake.” She exchanged a look with the other parents in the room and stood up. “Why don’t you two get to know each other a bit better over drinks and perhaps dinner. We’ll come back to the subject of the wedding tomorrow.”

As soon as they were left alone Jihoon felt the awkwardness wash over him. He never did like socializing one-on-one with people he wasn’t familiar with. He looked over at the sofa where Jeonghan was sitting and found he was already looking back. Jeonghan was undeniably handsome. With smooth skin, clothes that fit him perfectly, and light-brown dyed hair that framed the delicate features of his face.

“So.” Jeonghan was the one to break the silence. “Can I just say that I couldn’t care less about cake.” He smiled.

Jihoon returned the smile. He stood up and walked over to the bar in the back of the room. “What’s your drink?” He asked.

“Well, I’m not much of a drinker if I’m being honest, but I’ll take a scotch on the rocks, with a twist.”

Jihoon made the drink in silence and poured himself a bourbon, neat. He rarely drank and wasn’t known for his high alcohol tolerance, but he could use a drink right now. He handed the glass to Jeonghan and sat back down across from him.

“So…” 

“Don’t expect me to do any cooking.” Jeonghan took the pressure off the conversation once more. “Unless you like getting food poisoning.” He chuckled.

Jeonghan didn’t seem to be trying to present himself in a way that he thought would get Jihoon to like him. He appreciated that. At least he didn’t have to marry a suckup. “You’re a lawyer, right? What kind of law do you practice?”

“IP.” Jeonghan answered. “Intellectual property.” He clarified further. “Copyright infringement, trademarks, stuff like that. It was my own pathetic little rebellion against my parents.”

“How so? Aren’t they both lawyers as well?”

“They are. But my mother is a divorce lawyer and my father is in corporate law, so the expectation was that I would follow in at least one of their footsteps and join their firm.”

“So you became a different kind of lawyer. I don’t think that really counts as a rebellion.”

“Hence the pathetic nature of it. My parents do tend to make good decisions for me though, so usually I’m a very good boy and follow my parents’ wishes. What schools to go to, what neighborhood to live in.”

“Who to marry?” Their eyes met and they both felt silent.

Jeonghan sipped his drink.

Jihoon cleared his throat. “I, eh, I’m an architect.”

“I know. I read your file.”

“My file?” Jihoon scrunched his brows together, not sure what he was talking about.

“I’m just kidding. There’s no actual file.” Jeonghan stood up from where he was sitting and walked over to sit next to Jihoon on the sofa. “So, would I have seen anything drawn up by your hand around the city somewhere?”

“Possibly. Do you know that big department store that opened last year? A few blocks from Central station?”

“Of course! You designed that?”

“Well, parts of it.”

Jeonghan threw back the last of his drink and put the glass down. “Let’s say we go to dinner somewhere and you can tell me more about it.”

Jihoon put his own glass, not yet empty, down, too. “All right.”

They both stood up. Dinner. Jihoon could do dinner. At the very least there would be food.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know what you think! It's my first Jihoon focused fic (Jeonghan will get some more screentime as well and I'm also working on a separate fic that focuses on Soonyoung's perspective)
> 
> Some things I have googled for this fic:  
> -types of lawyers (I wanted Jeonghan to be a type of lawyer that makes a lot of money, lol)  
> -how do suits work?? (more on that later)  
> -male equivalent of mistress


	2. In Holy Matrimony

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jihoon is still getting married to Jeonghan. He's also still seeing Soonyoung. His wedding day comes and with it the wedding night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm posting this super fast, but...why not? I have about 4 out of the 6 chapters finished tbh

Jihoon assessed himself in the mirror. He looked good. Or at least his suit did. The rich deep-blue shade of the wool, the fit that was just right, the matching necktie and pocket square. It all came together in the best suit he had probably ever worn. It was hard to enjoy how good he looked, however.

_ “I want you to look great up there _ .” He heard Soonyoung’s voice say in his head. Jihoon turned away from the mirror and sighed. He had convinced his mother that it was fine if he and Jeonghan both just got a suit they liked and looked good in. He didn’t feel the need to go out of his way to get matching ones.

He had first met Soonyoung at a suit store about two years ago.  _ SHINee suits & accessories _ . He was in need of a new suit and someone had recommended him there. The staff member who helped him had a bright smile and friendly demeanor that was a sharp contrast to Jihoon’s more reserved nature. ‘ _ Good afternoon to you, sir. My name is Soonyoung and I am here to see to all of your suit-related needs and make sure you leave fully satisfied’. _ It wasn’t until they happened to meet again at a gay bar a few days later that the line between business and pleasure was lost. 

A few weeks after he announced his engagement they had resumed to see each other as if nothing had changed. Pretending. Ignoring. Neither of them brought it up when they were together. Until one evening when Jihoon had come over to Soonyoung’s apartment. Dinner and sex. He placed the take-out food he had brought on the table and started to unwrap it. 

“Where are you getting your wedding suit?” Soonyoung asked suddenly. Casual, as if it wasn’t a big deal.

“What?” Jihoon avoided looking at him.

“You always get your suits at our store. We do wedding suits too, you know?”

Jihoon didn’t know what to say. He was selfish when it came to Soonyoung, but he wasn’t cruel.

Soonyoung wrapped his arms around Jihoon’s waist from behind and leaned his head on his shoulder. “You’re able to pull off any suit, but you have to admit SHINee suits just hit differently. They look good on you.” He softly kissed his cheek. “Come by tomorrow and I’ll get you fitted.”

“Soonyoung…”

“Don’t you want to look good on your big day?” He let go of him and walked across to the other side of the table.

“Stop it, Soon.”

“I’m serious, Hoonie.” He looked up from the containers of food he was opening and their eyes locked. “I want you to look great up there. There will be lots of people who come to see you get married and I want them to think ‘wow, what a great suit, I need to get down to that store and get me one of those’. Think of the bonus I’ll get selling all those suits.”

Jihoon snapped back into the present reality when there was a knock on the door and his mother walked in. “Are you ready, honey? It’s time.” 

<>

The wedding day went by in a blur. Jihoon just followed the directions of their wedding planner and went where he had to go. He repeated his vows after the officiant marrying them without any true feelings behind his words, knowing that Jeonghan was doing the same. The kiss was stiff and formal. About what one would expect from having a first kiss in front of all your friends and family with someone who you barely know. He smiled politely when they received gifts and congratulations and he ate his dinner while pretending to care about the speeches people gave.

The second most dreaded part about the whole thing for Jihoon was taking the wedding pictures. He didn’t like having his picture taken on any given day, let alone when the photographer was overzealous and insisted on getting them into all sorts of ‘cute’ and intimate poses. He was very close to losing his patience when Jeonghan leaned in and whispered in his ear. “Come on, Jihoon. Let’s smile and give our parents the happy couple pictures they can show off to their friends.” He lifted his arm to form half a heart. Contrary to what anyone who knew Jihoon would expect, he didn’t feel annoyed at the suggestion. Jeonghan had a kind of charm that was hard to resist and say no to. So he lifted his arm and finished the heart, smiling for the camera.

The part he was dreading the most wasn’t during the actual wedding itself. It was what came after. The wedding night. It was no secret what was supposed to happen. As far as he had been told all his friends who had gotten married had adhered to tradition and consummated their marriage on the night of their wedding. Sex was seen as an essential part of any marriage. A level of intimacy needed to solidify the marital bond. There were even laws stating that refusing to have sex with ones spouse was a valid reason for divorce and you would get nothing. Jihoon had never worried so much about these things. Not until now. Not until there was a man, now his husband, with him in a fancy hotel suite. 

“The food was very nice, wasn’t it?” Jeonghan said as he took a few steps deeper into the room.

“Yeah. This caterer is really good.” Jihoon felt like it was a weird time for small talk, but it was better than silence. “Jisoo and Wonwoo used him for their weddings too.” 

“Remind me again who’s who. I’m sorry, but I’ve met so many people today.” Jeonghan chuckled as he opened and closed the mini fridge, not taking anything out. 

“Jisoo and his husband Seokmin were the ones who drew all that attention when they took over the dance floor. Wonwoo is my business partner.” 

“Oh yes, with the Chinese husband?”

“Right.” His friend and business partner, Wonwoo, had gotten married last Fall to a man whose language he didn’t even speak. Even now, they had to make use of Minghao’s personal assistant, Jun, to be their interpreter at times. They didn’t seem unhappy though.

Jihoon sat down on the edge of the luxurious bed and loosened his tie with his right hand. “I want to take a shower, but you can go first if you want.”

“Thank you. I think I will.” 

= = =

Jeonghan took off his suit and carefully hung it on its hanger. He turned the shower on and removed the last of his clothes as the water became warm. He stepped in and closed his eyes and let the water pour over him. Even though there was no-one watching, he felt comforted by the fact that his tears couldn’t be distinguished from the water running down his face. He wasn’t unhappy with Jihoon as his match. Not yet anyway. So far he even quite liked him. But slapping on a smile all day long had been exhausting and the reality of his current situation was sinking in. He was married. He had a husband. He was somebody’s husband. 

He opened his eyes and grabbed one of the loofahs hanging on the hook next to him. He took the shower gel provided by the hotel and popped the cap open. He squeezed a considerable amount onto the loofah and took in the smell. He started scrubbing his body. His chest, his arms, his legs. Every part he could reach. The cologne he had requested beforehand stood waiting for him. If he was to have sex with a man he barely knew, awkward and unfamiliar, he at the very least was going to smell nice.

= = =

Jihoon had let himself fall back onto the bed and was staring up at the ceiling. He sat back up when he heard the bathroom door open. Jeonghan stepped out in a bathrobe. It hung open a bit, exposing his collarbones. All his wedding day make-up was washed away. If anything, he looked more handsome without it. Jihoon had never cared much for excessive uses of beautification products and often found a man’s bare face much more appealing. A lazy Sunday morning waking up next to Soonyoung came to mind.

“Aren’t you going to take a shower?” Jeonghan asked and Jihoon realized he had been staring. 

He cleared his throat and stood up. “Yeah, thanks.”

“See you in a bit.” Jeonghan’s soft voice followed him into the bathroom.

Jihoon closed the door behind him and locked it. He leaned his hands on the sides of the sink and stared at himself in the mirror. Jeonghan was waiting in the next room for him to take his shower and get back to perform his duties as a dutiful husband would. Sure, he would be able to do it, but it wouldn’t feel good. Because despite the fact that he and Soonyoung had never verbally defined their relationship, never agreed on anything, never even said the words  _ ‘I love you’ _ , he felt like he was cheating on him. 

When he stepped back into the bedroom, Jeonghan was sitting on the edge of the bed. Jihoon sat down next to him.

"So…" Jeonghan spoke softly.

"So…" Jihoon replied. Silence. He felt as if Jeonghan was waiting for him to make the first move. He didn’t. He tried to push himself to do it, but his body wouldn’t move. "I, ehm. We...We don’t...we don’t have to.”

"Oh…"

"I'm not saying we can't and I don't want you to take it personally. What I'm saying is that it's up to you. I don't want to take advantage under the name of tradition." He felt like a hypocrite. If he wasn’t wrapped up in his feelings for someone else, he wouldn’t have had a problem sleeping with Jeonghan right now. He looked to the side to gauge Jeonghan’s reaction, but he was hard to read. 

After a moment of silence Jeonghan nodded. He reached out and gently cupped the cheek facing away from him "My, what a gentleman I married." He placed a soft kiss on Jihoon's cheek. "Sweet dreams then, my husband." He stood up and with his usual grace and walked around to the other side of the bed where he got under the covers with his back facing him.

Jihoon got under the covers also and looked at the way his new husband's body moved with slow breaths. He turned off the light and closed his eyes. 

Sleep found him easily after the long tiresome day. His dream itself was peaceful, calming, Soonyoung. This only made it harder when morning came and he was faced with reality. He propped himself up on his elbows and looked around the room. Jeonghan was sitting in the chair near the window, gazing outside, phone loosely held in his lap. He was already dressed and the light hit his face like it would a statue made of the finest marble.

Jihoon glanced at the clock on his nightstand and fell back with a groan. They were late for the breakfast they were supposed to have with their parents. The sound he had made caused Jeonghan to look at him. He got up and walked over to the bed. He sat down at the foot of it. "Good morning. Sleep well?"

Jihoon rubbed his hands over his face in an attempt to wake himself up faster. "Why didn't you wake me?"

"Because you looked like you were having a good dream."

"We're late."

"And yet you're still in bed after realizing this." Jeonghan laughed. "Don't worry. I rescheduled the breakfast to a brunch. It's a good thing when you think about it. They'll just assume we were too caught up in each other. Making love and whatnot. As a proper couple should."

Jihoon stared up at him and couldn't quite make out if he was amused by or annoyed at the fact they hadn't consumated their marriage last night. He was still figuring Jeonghan out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> to recap some side info that was revealed:  
> -Jisoo and Seokmin are married (and have been for a few years)  
> -Wonwoo and Minghao are married. Jun is Hao's personal assistant (there's a whole story with these three and maybe I'll write it)
> 
> Thanks to anyone who reads this!
> 
> Next chapter we'll find out JIhoon and Jeonghan have quite a few things in common.


	3. Things we have in common

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jihoon finds out about all the things he and Jeonghan have in common.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yo~ Anybody reading this? :D

“So where does he think you are right now?” 

“Working late, I guess. Nothing unusual.” Jihoon answered. He tangled his fingers in his lover’s hair as he was making his way down his chest with small kisses and licks of his tongue.

“How was your honeymoon?” He asked in between touches.

“Can we not?”

Soonyoung looked up with the kind of smirk on his face that he knew the other man only pretended to hate. “I’m just saying. He can’t be that great in bed, seeing as you came begging to me two seconds after you came back.”

“First of all, I didn’t beg.” The whole honeymoon Jihoon had resisted the urge to contact Soonyoung in any way. He had spent most of his time napping, eating and working. Not very romantic, but he wasn’t the type anyway. Besides, he had learned that his love for sleep and food was shared by his spouse. Sleep especially. All in all, it hadn’t been a bad little vacation. Under normal circumstances. Throughout, he had found himself wanting for Soonyoung’s familiar touch. Wanting to hear him laugh at a joke he made himself. Just wanting to be near him.

“And second of all?”

“I didn’t sleep with him. I mean, we didn’t have sex.”

Soonyoung raised his eyebrows with genuine surprise. “You didn’t? Why not?” He knew what he wanted the reason to be, but he also knew that Jihoon would never say it out loud even if it was.

“I told him we didn’t have to and he wasn’t opposed to the idea.”

“What if he tells his parents?” 

“I don’t think he will.” He knew that it would be bad if Jeonghan’s mother, the divorce lawyer, would hear about their failure to cement their wedding vows, but he was as good as certain that the man himself was more than happy with their currently sexless marriage. 

“But...eventually you’ll have to sleep with him, right?” 

Jihoon used his thumb to stroke Soonyoung’s cheek.. “I don’t see why. We didn’t get married because we love each other. We don’t even know each other.” In the quiet moment that followed he thought about bringing up the wedding suits. Jeonghan’s wedding suit, to be more specific. 

After getting back from their honeymoon they received the first previews of their wedding photos from the photographer. Just as with the cake, he didn’t really care about wedding photos. His interest was piqued, however, when Jeonghan pointed something out.

“Wow, I never realized it on the day itself, but our suits look really good together, Jihoon.” He turned his laptop so Jihoon could see the photo of them standing next to each other, facing forward and holding hands stiffly. “See? Maybe it’s the lighting or the editing or something, but isn’t my necktie and pocket square almost the exact same color as your suit and vice versa?”

Jihoon stared at the photo. He was right. It looked as if they had intentionally matched their outfits.

“I sure am glad I listened to your mother.”

“What do you mean?”

“She recommended the store I got my suit at. SHINee suits? She said you get all your suits there and would probably get your wedding suit there too. Still, it’s amazing how the store got us so well matched. Do you think it’s just a lucky coincidence?”

Jihoon’s ears were ringing. Jeonghan had gotten his suit from the store Soonyoung worked at. Soonyoung must have been the one who helped him and he must have somehow figured out who Jeonghan was. It would explain why he had suddenly insisted on getting Jihoon his wedding suit and the way he had all the colors already picked out when he got there. The worst part of it was that Soonyoung had made sure they looked good together. Knowing him, he probably thought he was doing something nice for Jihoon, but he would have preferred getting yelled at or something. This was just painful. But it must be even more painful for Soonyoung. Right? So he didn’t bring it up.

He closed his eyes as Soonyoung kissed him and gave him what he wanted. He drowned out his thoughts and feelings by focussing on the sounds falling from Soonyoung’s mouth as he fucked him into the mattress, knowing fully that this wouldn’t be the last time.

<>

Weeks were starting to turn into months and while Jihoon continued his meetings with Soonyoung, albeit a lot more infrequent than before, he was also getting used to the home life he was sharing with Jeonghan. After getting married they had moved into a new house, a joint wedding gift from their parents. After the first few nights sleeping in the same bed, the awkwardness disappeared. In fact, Jihoon quickly grew accustomed to falling asleep with Jeonghan on the other side of the bed, waking up in the morning and sharing breakfast. There was still a distance between them, but it no longer felt as if he was sharing a house with a stranger. 

One night Jihoon came home rather late after a long day at his office and was expecting Jeonghan to already be in bed like he usually was around this time. Instead he found him sitting at the dining table with documents scattered around and his eyes fixated on his laptop. “Tough case?” Jihoon asked as he pulled out the chair next to him and sat down. He looked tired.

Jeonghan sat back and lifted his glasses, placing them on top of his head. He rubbed his hands over his face and took a deep breath. “More than tough, it’s just…a lot.” He let his arms fall to the sides of his body and smiled at Jihoon. “How was your day?”

“Fine. Nothing special.”

“How did your presentation go? For that parking garage.”

Jihoon felt a subtle flutter in his stomach. He wasn’t sure what caused it. Perhaps it was the fact that Jeonghan cared enough to remember details about his work. Or maybe it was how soft he looked in this light, with sleepy eyes and a subtle smile on his lips. “It went well. I think. They’ll let me know in a few days.”

Jeonghan failed to suppress a yawn. “Good. You worked really hard.”

Jihoon sat there for another minute as Jeonghan directed his attention to his work again. “I’m going to bed. Don’t stay up too late, all right?”

“Yeah, yeah. I just need to finish reading this file. I’ll try not to wake you when I get to bed.”

“You better not.” Jihoon smiled and stood up. As he did, he pressed a quick kiss on Jeonghan’s cheek. A mindless gesture that he hadn’t planned on. He stood next to the chair for a moment. “Good night.” He walked away.

Jeonghan touched the spot where Jihoon had kissed him with his fingertips. “Good night.” He whispered only for himself to hear.

<>

Jeonghan made himself as long as he possibly could, stretching his body across the length of the bed in the guest room. He let out a satisfied groan. He looked to his right and rolled onto his side, propping his head up on his hand. He smiled at the man lying next to him. "What are you looking at?"

"You. I've missed you."

Jeonghan leaned in and pressed a kiss on his mouth. “It hasn't even been that long since we last saw each other, Seungcheol.” 

"I know, but I still missed you." Jeonghan’s lover rolled on his back and held out his muscular arm as a way to invite the other man to lie down on his chest. An invitation quickly accepted.

Jeonghan had met Seungcheol when they were both seventeen. His father had hired the young man to do some work in their garden and clean their pool during the summer. One day Jeonghan had been up in his room when he looked out the window and saw him working in the hot sun. He had taken his shirt off and sweat ran down his back. Nobody else was at home and Jeonghan was bored. He went down into the kitchen and opened the fridge. Perhaps the hot gardener would appreciate a cold beverage.

He walked out carrying a tray with a pitcher of homemade lemonade and two glasses. He placed it on the garden table outside. He could feel eyes already upon him. He looked up and, as anticipated, locked eyes. “Care for a drink? I made it myself.”

Smiles and names were exchanged and Seungcheol took one of the glasses. He didn’t sit down. As soon as he took a sip his mouth scrunched together.

Jeonghan let out a laugh. “Sorry. Too sour? I don’t usually make lemonade.”

“I appreciate the effort.”

“You can sit down, you know. You deserve a break.”

Seungcheol put the glass back down and cocked his head to the side. “Nah, I’d better not. I promised your dad I’d have that flower patch done today.” He returned to work, but he was well aware of the way Jeonghan was observing him.

The next day Jeonghan made another attempt at lemonade and this time he was able to convince Seungcheol to sit down for a hot second. He learned that he was doing this work to earn some extra money. He was saving up to go to school to become a carpenter and hopefully some day start his own business.

It took two more days before they first slept together. The pool house became their spot. His parents never knew of course. They would never approve of someone like Seungcheol.

When the summer ended they said goodbye and Jeonghan thought that was the end of it, but when he came back the next summer it only took a few hours rather than days before they shared the bed again and continued right where they had left off. The next summer he didn’t come. Jeonghan felt stupid for thinking that their teenage summer fling would keep repeating every year. 

It wasn’t until the next summer that he saw him again. He was home from college for summer and his heart stopped when he saw a familiar exposed torso walking around the yard a few houses down. He didn’t approach him to say hello. He just stood there like some sort of idiot until Seungcheol saw him and walked over.

“Hey.”

“Hey...Our yard not good enough for you anymore?” Jeonghan joked.

“Your dad didn’t hire me last year. Or this year.”

“Oh.” Jeonghan wasn’t sure what to make of the situation, but he knew he didn’t want this to be the end of whatever it was they had for those two summers. “What are you doing later?”

“Not sure. Whatever you want to do is fine.” They smiled at each other. “Listen, I got to get back to work, but, eh, I should be done around five.”

That had been the start of a new chapter in their story. They didn’t call each other boyfriend. There were times where they didn’t see each other for months. They never met each other’s friends or family. But they were something.

Now, years later, Jeonghan married, they were still something. 

Seungcheol brushed his fingers through Jeonghan's hair with slow strokes. "Let's go on a date."

Jeonghan didn't respond right away. He secretly hoped that if he pretended he hadn't heard, Seungcheol wouldn't ask again.

"Han?"

"Hm?" He hummed in response.

"I said, let's go on a date."

"I don't think so." Jeonghan felt bad refusing him, but it was bad enough he was seeing him at all. He used his suspicion that Jihoon didn’t really spend all those nights ‘working late’ actually working as a justification for his own affair. He felt Seungcheol’s body tense up. Their relationship had always been a secret, but he had always made time for him when he asked him to before.

Jeonghan lifted his head to look up at him. He could tell Seungcheol was angry from the way he avoided his eyes and clenched his jaw.

"Is this all just sex to you?" He finally asked. 

Jeonghan sat up. "You know it's not. But I'm  _ married  _ now, Cheol! I can't just go around on dates with men who aren't my husband!" He got up from the bed and wrapped himself in his robe.

"But you can fuck them in his house?" Seungcheol’s deep voice came from behind. He heard the bed creak under his weight as he got closer. He felt his heat on his back. “In this bed...” A firm hand on his waist, digging into the flesh underneath the fabric. “In the shower…”

“Seungcheol, stop it.” 

He ghosted his mouth along the smooth skin of Jeonghan's neck. "What? Now you don't even want to fuck anymore?"

Jeonghan pushed his hands off and turned around, stepping away from the bed. "I said stop it!" Tears were stinging in his eyes, but they fell along with his anger when he saw the broken look on Seungcheol’s face.

"I need more, Jeonghan. I can't just be someone you have sex with and that's it. I know we can't be a normal couple, but I need you to give me something. Anything."

Jeonghan stepped closer and cupped his lover's face in his hands. "You aren't just someone I have sex with. Okay? I love you.” He rubbed his cheeks with his thumbs. “I can't go out on a date with you downtown, but I'll tell you what. We'll rent a cabin or something out of the city. I'll come up with some excuse and we'll spend a whole weekend together. Just you and me."

<>

“Don’t forget I have that conference this weekend. I’ll be back some time on Sunday.”

“Yeah, I remember.” Jihoon answered, watching Jeonghan’s back as he placed his empty mug in the kitchen sink.

In the short time that they had been married Jihoon had learned that he and Jeonghan had several things in common. 

They both liked napping. They both enjoyed food. They both faked smiles at formal dinners with friends of their parents. They both worked hard at their jobs. They were both sleeping with people they weren’t married to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, well, well...what a mess
> 
> Next chapter: tension is rising between the newly weds


	4. Icy hot touch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jihoon has trouble dealing with the summer heat, but a glass of Jeonghan's lemonade might just be what he needs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back again~ Thank you to those who have left kudos <3

Jihoon walked around the bedroom, drying his hair with a towel and figuring out what to wear in this heat. It was high summer and almost unbearably hot. He looked out the window overlooking their backyard and saw Jeonghan lying in his lounge chair by the pool with an open book resting on his stomach. He caught himself thinking how beautiful he looked like that. Eyes peacefully closed, a light breeze playing with his hair, shade of the tree dancing on his skin.

He pulled himself away from the window, feeling almost like a creepy stalker staring at him like that. He went downstairs with nothing to do. It was the weekend and for once he didn’t have any work to do or plans to meet Soonyoung. Usually on days like this he just ended up doing not much of anything. He liked it that way.

He walked into the kitchen and was surprised by Jeonghan being there. He must have woken up from his nap just now. Jeonghan greeted him with a smile and Jihoon noticed a bead of sweat slowly running down his smooth skin. Down his collarbone and into the v-neck of his loose fitting shirt.

“Care for some lemonade?” Jeonghan asked as he opened the fridge. “I made it myself.”

“Sure.”

Jeonghan poured him a glass and handed it over. Their fingers briefly brushed together. “Here you go. I hope you like it.”

Jihoon kept his eyes on Jeonghan over the edge of his glass as he gulped down the refreshing drink. “You look nice today.” It just slipped out.

For a second Jeonghan seemed to have been caught off guard by the sudden compliment, but he quickly regained his composure. “Just today?” He said teasingly and Jihoon scoffed with a small smile on his face. “You’re not so bad yourself.” He added.

There was a lingering moment where neither of them spoke, but there was a weird tension hanging in the air caught between their gaze. Jihoon blamed it on the heat of summer.

<>

That night Jihoon was lying in bed and sleep wouldn’t take him. The air was still warm and he just couldn’t get comfortable. He tried changing his position, he turned his pillow over, but nothing worked. He let out a frustrated sigh. 

“Can’t sleep?” Jeonghan asked from the other side of the bed. 

“Sorry. Did I wake you?” He turned his head to look at Jeonghan. The window was open and the subtle wind coming from outside pushed the curtains open enough for light to come in and make him visible. 

“No. I’m having trouble falling asleep myself.” 

Jihoon let out another loud sigh, “I just want to run ice cubes all over my body.” 

“Oh! Do you think that would help?” Jeonghan said with enthusiasm that was almost childlike and it made Jihoon chuckle. “I’ll be right back!” He got up from the bed and left the room. Jihoon could hear his footsteps going down the stairs. 

Soon after, Jeonghan returned with a sorry look on his face and an ice cube tray in his hands. “So…” He started as he slowly made his way back to the bed. “Don’t hate me, but I think that when I made lemonade earlier and put some ice in it I kind of forgot to fill it back up and just put the tray back in the freezer.”

“Well, that’s not much use, is it?” Jihoon looked at the expression on the other man’s face and almost had to laugh at the way he was like a little puppy that had just knocked over a vase. “Nothing we can do about it now, I guess. Let’s just try to get some sleep.”

Instantaneously Jeonghan’s face went from sorry to mischievous, “All right. You don’t mind if I take the one ice cube that was in the tray then, right?” He playfully dangled the tray in front of Jihoon’s face. 

He shot up and stared at the coveted ice. “No. Give me it.”

Jeonghan acted as if he was considering it, cocking his head to the side and making a soft humming noise. “No, I don’t think I will.” He popped the lone cube out. Jihoon tried to stop him, but he grabbed the wrong arm and the cube was already between Jeonghan’s lips.

Jihoon still had his fingers wrapped around Jeonghan’s wrist and their eyes met. Jeonghan’s sparkled, like he was daring him. Daring him to come and take the ice cube if he wanted it so badly. Jihoon’s eyes shifted to the cube in Jeonghan’s mouth. He leaned in and gave the ice a little lick with the tip of his tongue. It had already started to melt and the water was dripping down Jeonghan’s chin and neck. 

Jihoon could feel Jeonghan’s warm breath and the coolness of the ice mixing on his skin. He only touched the frozen water, their lips as close as possible without actually making contact. He continued to lick it down until it was fully melted and only Jeonghan’s lips remained. Wet and cool, swollen from the ice. He felt Jeonghan shiver as he ran his tongue over them. He started to follow the wet trail down his neck. Jihoon pushed the thin robe Jeonghan was wearing down to allow his tongue to travel along his shoulder.

Jeonghan would be lying if he said he hadn’t thought about sleeping with Jihoon. When he was offered the choice on their wedding night he had felt relieved. His relationship with Seungcheol was complicated and in his head, Jihoon had practically been a stranger at that point.

Things were different now. His relationship with Seungcheol was still complicated, but Jihoon was no longer a stranger. They had gotten to know each other, they spent a significant amount of time together and it was getting increasingly harder to imagine his day-to-day life without him. He let his head fall back slightly and moaned softly when Jihoon made his way down to his chest and ran a heavy lick across his nipple. He had been craving this more than he cared to admit. He wanted Jihoon’s hands on his body. He wanted to find out what his mouth tasted like and how he would feel inside of him. He lifted Jihoon’s head with both of his hands and brought him closer. He leaned down and pushed his lips open with his own, slipping his tongue into the wet heat. 

Now that the line that they had been toeing was crossed, Jihoon started to feed into the hunger he had been feeling for Jeonghan. Their kiss quickly became messy as they rid each other of their few remaining clothes. As soon as he got Jeonghan on his back, Jihoon started to make his way down again. He reached his hand down and wrapped his fingers around Jeonghan, getting him fully hard. The moans his movements drew from Jeonghan’s lips went straight to his own growing erection. He added fuel to the fire by sucking at the sensitive skin just below his ear.

Jeonghan strained his arm to reach his nightstand and blindly felt around the drawer. “Give me your hand.” He said in a whispered whimper. Jihoon did as he was told and his fingers were covered in a slick layer of lube. He returned his tongue to Jeonghan’s hungry mouth while he guided his hand down between his legs. He took in every little sound, every little twitch Jeonghan made as he worked him open. 

When he finally took his position between Jeonghan’s legs and started pushing inside he felt like he was on fire. The burning hot sensation of Jeonghan’s eyes firmly locked on his face as he entered him was perhaps even more arousing than the way his body took him in.

His hair was already clinging to his forehead with sweat, but he didn’t care about how hot it was anymore. All he wanted to focus on was the power behind his thrusts and finding out how loud he could make the man underneath him moan. He hooked his arms around Jeonghan’s legs and pushed them towards his chest, allowing him deeper entry. Jeonghan’s cheeks were flushed and his lips slightly parted. 

Jeonghan reached up and pulled Jihoon closer, holding his face in his hands. Jihoon’s movements slowed down and for a moment they just stared at each other. They kissed. Jeonghan gasped for air when Jihoon suddenly returned to speed. He smiled and kissed him again, alternating kisses with moans. “H-hoonie, I’m so close. Don’t stop.”

Jihoon nodded. “Can I...on your stomach?” He breathed heavily. He wanted to stain it with his cum. He wanted to see it glisten in the faint light coming from the streetlights outside. 

Jeonghan squeezed his eyes shut. He grabbed a fistfull of the sheets with one hand and dug the fingers of the other in Jihoon’s arm. “Y-yes. You can cum wherever the fuck you want, just don’t stop.” He got one hand on himself as he could no longer take it.

At the sight of Jeonghan reaching his orgasm Jihoon pulled out and pumped himself to his easily reached climax. He watched it land on top of Jeonghan's sweaty stomach where it mixed together with his.

They were both completely covered in sweat and out of breath. Jihoon sat back and lightly caressed Jeonghan’s leg with his fingertips. His mind was empty.

The last thing Jeonghan wanted to do was move, but he was covered in bodily fluids and there was no way he could go to sleep like that. So he got up with a groan and crawled off the bed. “I’m going to take a shower.” He brushed Jihoon’s knee. “Join me?”

After cleaning themselves up they returned to the bed. Each lying down on their own side. Now that they had come down from their high the air felt heavy.

“Good night.” Jeonghan whispered with a hoarse voice.

“Good night.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -SO, this is clearly a work of fiction because it is freaking hot here rn and there is no way I'd be in the mood to do any of the things they just did  
> -Yes, they have a pool. They be rich (why don't they have AC then??? IDEK LOL, ehh, it's broken?)  
> -Well...so much for Jihoon's "I don't see why I would ever sleep with him"
> 
> Kudos and comments are much appreciated <3 
> 
> Not sure how fast the next update will be (I had already basically finished the first 4 chapters, but the next one is still in a very early stage)


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